A Journey in Love
by Kex3
Summary: AU. Amy Pond is the daughter of rich parents living an extravagant lifestyle in Venice. When her mother threatens to cut her off, Amy doesn't believe her. So one day Amy comes home to find a naked man in her flat, claiming to live there due to someone wanting their daughter to have a flatmate. Instead of cutting her off, Amy's mum decided to torture her with an eccentric flatmate.
1. Chapter 1

A Journey in Love

A/N: Special thanks to mattkaztrophe (also known as mattkaztrofic or blooming-legolas on tumblr) for letting me use their idea to write this fanfiction. It was a truly genius idea and I'm so grateful that they let me pursue it. I really hope you all enjoy it!

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Chapter One

Amelia Pond was a traveler. Ever since she was a little girl she would always be caught wandering off and finding herself curious in matters she didn't belong to.

She simply couldn't help herself. The moment her mum looked away, little Amelia would run off and get herself into all sorts of trouble.

It was only in her teenage years that life began to change. Her father, Augustus Pond, became a famous Doctor, and suddenly became too busy for even his family. While he traveled and always found excuses to stay away at work, Amelia started to realize she was waiting on someone who wasn't interested in coming back.

But even while he was gone, the money kept coming in, and to say Amelia was living a life of luxury was a hard understatement.

Yet even while the Ponds' lives seemed glamorous, Amelia found it anything but. With growing older in a rich lifestyle came new rules and responsibilities, and with them: consequences.

Amelia Pond quickly grew up. Shortening her name to Amy, she learned to stop wandering off and breaking rules. She stopped trying to poke her nose in where it didn't belong, and quickly learned there was a certain comfort in going with the flow.

But God, did she hate it.

So Amy found a more luxurious, friendlier way to wander off. She started traveling. The moment she was legal and out of school, she took her parents money and left.

She made a home for herself in a simple, cozy, but wonderful flat in the most beautiful city in the world: Venice.

It was there that she always found herself returning to. She could never imagine living anywhere else, nor did she ever want to.

She loved the view from her living room. When she pulled open the curtains and let the morning light in, she could feel it reach through the entire house until everything felt warm, even in early autumn as the cool temperatures started were beginning to settle in.

Amy would often find herself lounging on the sofa for hours during her breaks between traveling, listening to anything from the latest hits to old folk songs that reminded her of childhood. But this was all when she _wasn't _traveling.

Amy had been nearly everywhere, and it still was never enough. She'd visited America, Rome, New Zealand, Paris, everywhere. But she still had yet to see everything.

"You should see China this time of year," one of Amy's closest friends, River Song had told her. "It's absolutely _gorgeous._" And River would know. She _had _seen everything. Amy wanted with all her heart to do the same.

So, as soon as she got home, Amy did her research, bought her tickets, and started packing for her next trip, this time, to the lands of China.

Amy was excited. She usually was when it came to going somewhere new. What excited her most about this trip was that it was the one month of the year, September, that she had a chance to see the ancient and valuable paintings in the Beijing Palace Museum.

Amy loved art. Absolutely nothing could have dampened her spirits that morning as she pulled out her prepared suitcase and got herself ready to head to the airport. Nothing could have changed her bright morning, if it weren't for the phone call.

Amy was quite literally walking out the door when her cell phone rang in her jacket pocket. She took a moment to lock the door behind her before she pulled out the device and checked the ID number.

She felt her heart skip a beat as she flipped it open and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello mum," Amy said, forcing a smile as if her mother could see her face all the way from London.

"Amelia! Where are you?" Tabetha Pond, her mother, said on the other line. She didn't sound upset or worried, just curious.

Amy bit the inside of her cheek and took a deep breath. She hated it when people called her Amelia.

"In Venice, mum. I'm on my way to the airport... New trip planned…" She replied, careful with the woman who was technically paying for Amy's extravagant lifestyle.

"Amelia, you need to stop running off and doing whatever you like. You're 25 years old! You should either be studying or getting a job, or getting married! I feel like all you're doing is running away from real life, dear."

"Mum, I'm not running away. I'm seeing the world while it's still here. What's so wrong with that?" Amy argued.

"Nothing," Tabetha replied coolly. "But if you're not in school, you should get a job and learn to support yourself."

Amy took a deep breath and counted to ten as she put her suitcase in her car.

"But mum, there aren't any good jobs for someone like me. Especially ones that let me travel."

"You need to keep looking. I'm sure there's something out there for you."

_Maybe_, Amy thought to herself, but instead replied, "Sure. I'll keep my eyes open." Anything to make her mum hang up…

"I certainly hope so. If you keep putting this off, the money will stop for you," her mum said.

Amy rolled her eyes. Her mum had been saying that for five years. Her mum would never cut off her only daughter.

"I understand," Amy said nonchalantly. "Bye."

Amy heard a muffled 'good-bye' as she turned off the phone and shoved it back in her pocket. She ran a hand through her bright red and hair and sighed in exhaustion.

She didn't like what their relationship had become, but her mum simply didn't understand. This is what Amy loved. She truly wanted nothing more than to see the world and have fun doing it. For Amy it was all about the next great adventure, and she refused to miss it for a second.

So with that settled in her mind, Amy climbed into the driver's seat and sped off to the airport.

* * *

The trip itself had been lovely. The tours had been fairly long, but ultimately worth it in the end. The artwork was breathtaking, the people had been friendly, and Amy had never had such a great experience. The conversation with her mum, being one out of many, was long since forgotten by the time her trip drew to an end.

As she packed, she quickly went over her mental checklist to make sure she'd bought enough souvenirs for her friends and herself, hadn't lost any of her immediate belongings, and make sure her flight plans were all still in order. Once she was assured that they were, she left the hotel and went back to the airport for her long, ten hour flight back to Venice.

She slept for half of it. The other half she spent her time between reading one of her favorite books and watching an old Chinese movie that was provided during the flight.

Only once she was back in the open, evening air of Venice did she finally stretch and allow herself to relax. She was home. She would never let anyone tell her coming home wasn't the best part of traveling.

There was something beautiful about getting out of her comfort zone, exploring the world and seeing things she'd never imagined for the first time, and then unwinding immediately after. Jet lag was awful. But only if there was something to do as soon as she got back. Which was never.

Amy smiled to herself as she found her car and drove down the familiar streets that had become her home since she was eighteen. Making a split second decision, she decided to stop by one of her friend's flat.

Her name was Cecilia Dale. She was brunette and a bit shorter than Amy, but with her bright and friendly personality, she and Amy got along famously.

"Amy!" Cecilia smiled when she opened the door.

"Hey Cece," Amy replied, accepting her friend's hug before stepping inside.

"I remember you mentioning that you were coming back in today," Her friend said. "Would you like some tea?"

"No thanks," Amy replied. "I was just stopping by to give you this."

Cecilia raised an eyebrow as Amy pulled the items out of her bag and handed them back to her friend, who quickly smiled when she saw them.

"It's a Chinese knot and paper cutting. They're both pretty popular, I've learned."

"Oh my goodness, their beautiful!" Cecilia said excitedly. "They'll be perfect in the living room. The colors are perfect!"

"I'm glad you like them," Amy smiled.

"Oh! Amy, I almost forgot," Cecilia suddenly frowned as she set them down on the table. "I saw something odd the other day when I was driving past your place."

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"There was a car out front. It didn't look like yours. It was a dark blue or something. A microbus I think."

"A _microbus_?" Amy said in disbelief.

"Yeah," Cecilia nodded in thought. "That's right. You didn't buy one on a random splurge did you?"

"Ugh, no! Like I would splurge on a _microbus_." Amy shivered in distaste.

"You know, it might be River's. I've seen her drive one like that once or twice," Amy stated after a moment. "I figured it had to be for a job or something. Never really bothered to ask."

"You should ask," Cecelia said as Amy made her way to the door.

"Yeah, I will. Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem," Cecelia smiled. "See you later."

"Bye," Amy grinned and stepped outside.

It was starting to get dark by the time Amy made it home. And just like Cecelia had said, in the driveway was a dark blue Volkswagen Microbus. And a pretty old one by the looks of it, but it shone bright under the street lamps from the obvious great care of the owner.

Amy frowned and pulled her car to a stop beside it, examining it up and down as she pulled out her suitcase and slammed the car door shut.

It certainly looked like River's. But as she looked through the windows she realized it looked a lot more like someone had been living in it more than just driving it around. And that didn't seem like River Song to her.

But hey, maybe she had a boyfriend? It was the simplest explanation. River didn't talk much about things like that.

Amy sighed and walked up to her flat, keys jingling in her hand. It was probably River. Both River and Cecilia had keys to her place. They would sometimes stop by while Amy was traveling, mostly to bring in the mail and make sure everything was in order. So, it had to be River.

Amy tried the door, but was surprised to find it was locked. If it was just River stopping by, the door would have been left unlocked for just a quick pop-in-and-out. But Amy brushed it off and unlocked the door.

She pushed it open and stepped inside. She stopped herself just short of screaming.

It was a mess! All of it! There were dirty dishes on the table, couch cushions on the floor and a blanket thrown half-hazardly over the armchair and almost all of it on the ground. There were take-out wrappers on the side table and muddy boots sitting on the carpet.

Amy felt anger building inside her. This couldn't have been River, could it? It just didn't seem possible. Yet here she was, looking at her once cozy flat and seeing nothing but disorder and mayhem.

"River!" Amy shouted, tossing her things on the sofa. At least _she _would pick them up later.

Just as she looked up from her things, she froze. It hadn't been River. It hadn't been River _at all_.

A man popped his head around the corner, his hair wet and sticking up and out everywhere. It was only then that Amy heard the shower going. Her eye twitched as he stepped out, _naked_, and eyed her suspiciously with his hazel green eyes.

"You're not River?" He said, like Amy was the strange one.

This time, Amy screamed.

~(*)~

Please Review!


	2. Chapter 2

A Journey In Love

Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you guys so much for following this story and favoriting it, even though you've only seen one chapter! Also, thank you for reviewing. You have no idea how much reviews motivate me to continue writing. I hope you guys continue to tell me what you think so I can improve on my own writing and also keep my motivation running strong.

I hope you guys like this next chapter!

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Amy sipped her tea and stared coldly at the odd man squirming in his seat across from her. He was dressed now, mostly, in a pair of old trousers and a blanket wrapped around his bare chest. His hair was disheveled, more so than it was earlier. That was entirely Amy's fault, and she didn't feel bad about it.

The man was obviously uncomfortable; despite the fact he was sitting on one of the most comfortable sofas Amy had ever had the pleasure of buying. He was nervously crunching away through a half eaten pack of jammy-dodgers. Amy tried not to wince at the idea of having to clean up the crumbs later, among other things…

Her reaction to the invasion in her home had been quite acceptable in her mind.

_Amy screamed and grabbed the nearest blunt object to throw at the stranger._

"_Oi!" He shouted, ducking and casting a glare in her direction. "What was that for?" _

"_Get out, get out, get OUT!" Amy screeched, this time going for the lampshade to throw at his head. _

_ He jumped out of the way again and stared at her incredulously. _

"_Me? You're the one in my flat!" He said, his own voice raising a few octaves when Amy started picking up couch cushions for ammo. _

_ Amy's arm froze in mid air while the strange man raised his arms in defense. _

"_What do you mean _your_ flat?" She growled, her eyebrows knitting together in a way that dared him to say it again. _

_ He quickly put a hand to his chest and replied, "I live here," he tried. "I was looking for a cheap place to rent out, and then suddenly I'm getting this call from a woman who says she has a place she's trying to sell—gives me the address and everything! She said her daughter needed a flat-mate and—"_

_ His eyes widened and he slapped a hand over his mouth. A squeak escaped his throat as Amy's eyes narrowed dangerously. _

"_What woman?" She demanded, "Or so help me the next thing going through your head is the door!" _

_ He squeaked again._

"_You—You're the daughter! Amelia Pond!"_

_ Amy's eye twitched. She threw the cushion at him, this time hitting him square in the_ _face,__ making him stumble back from shock._

"_NO ONE. CALLS ME. AMELIA!" She roared, throwing the next two pillows at his body which both hit their targets as well._

_ "I'm sorry—I'm sorry! I didn't know!" He shouted, ducking into the kitchen to avoid being hit again. _

_ Amy held her head in her hands and groaned loudly. _

_ This couldn't be happening. This just couldn't be happening! _

_ The man suddenly peeked out around the corner. His eyes were narrowed in what looked like concern._

_ "It just occurred to me that I'm a tiny bit naked. Could you turn around, please?" He asked. Amy's eyes widened._

"_Like hell!" She replied. He shrugged._

"_Fine then."_

_ And with that, he walked right out, turned and made his way back to the bedrooms, without a single care as to what Amy thought at all._

Amy could only be grateful that he'd taken one of the guest rooms she didn't care about. But otherwise, it was quite a challenge getting him to come back out and have a straight conversation with her, if that's what she was going to call it.

"So," Amy started, causing the man to jump after the long silence. "This woman. She says she 'sold' this place to you?"

The man tightened his hold on the blanket around his shoulders and nodded, taking another hard bite out of his jammy-dodger. Amy frowned and took another sip of her tea.

"Yes. Mrs. Pond. She really wanted me to take the place. Well, half the place," He said, crisscrossing his legs like that would help protect him from Amy's wrath.

"Only half?" Amy asked incredulously. He nodded.

"Yeah, something like that. She was very convincing that buying half the place would only seem fair, so her daughter—you, would feel better knowing the rest of it still belonged to you. Or something like that."

Amy felt her jaw tighten.

"Excuse me one moment," She said, her voice tight as she stood and walked to the kitchen.

Without blinking an eye, she pulled out her cell phone and turned it on. There were three missed messages from River, but Amy moved past them and hit speed dial on the one number she cared about. At least at the moment.

"Amelia! What's the matter?" Her mum's voice said over the line. Amy felt something burning deep in the pit of her gut as she tried not to scream.

"Mum," Amy said in false sweetness, "is there any reason that there is a _man _in my _flat_?!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"You mean John Smith?" _The hell? That was his name? _Who was named John Smith anymore? Amy made a mental note to ask about that later.

"_Yes_, John Smith," Amy said, the naming tasting like sandpaper on her tongue. "Why is he here?"

"Because dear, you need a reminder that life is not free of consequences. I asked him to live there until you decide what you're going to do with your life."

Amy fought the scream down her throat and bit the inside of her cheek.

"So you found some random bloke and said, 'hey, don't know who you are or what you do, but I think you should move in with my only daughter and do who knows what while she's gone!'"

"Amelia, I know better than that. He's not just some 'random bloke' as you put it. His name is John Smith the Second. He's the son of John Smith the First, owner of Smith Enterprises, a very successful travelling business. He's not some random boy, Amelia. He's the heir to a multi-billion dollar company, and he was looking for a simple place to live. He was very happy when I called him. Although it did take some convincing when I mentioned you…"

_I should hope so_, Amy thought to herself but said nothing.

"So what, I'm just supposed to let this stupid face live here?"

"Yes, unless you really do want to see the money stop."

Something in her tone made Amy hesitate. For once, Amy actually believed her mum meant it. It was this eccentric idiot, or get a job.

Amy sighed.

"I'll call you back." She hung up before she could hear her mum's response, but she didn't need to. Amy's mind was made up.

If her mum wanted to torture her daughter with an eccentric flat-mate, then so be it. She'd prove to her mum how silly this entire idea was. Amy wasn't one to break easily. She would show them she could take care of herself.

Amy went back to the living room and sat back down in her chair. The man, John Smith, looked at her with wide eyes. He'd obviously heard the entire conversation. Amy didn't care. She wanted him to know that she didn't like this. Not one bit.

"Well then, whoever you are," She said, ignoring the man when he tried to interrupt, "if you're going to _live here _there have to be rules."

He straightened in his seat and nodded.

"No more naked business! You will be dressed _at all times_. No funny business! I mean it. There's a thing called decency, look it up!

"I really am sorry about that—"

"Also, clean up after yourself. If you weren't raised in a barn you can at least act like it. Don't leave your stuff lying around for me to take care of it. Furthermore, no one gets to know you live here. _No one_. Can you imagine how bad it will look for me if people find out there's some strange _man _living in my flat?"

"You could just say I'm your boyfriend?" He suggested.

Amy fought the urge to slap him.

"I _have _a boyfriend," Amy growled. That shut him up quickly.

"Never mind," he replied weakly. "Anything else I should be aware of?"

"Yeah," Amy said flatly. "Driveway's mine. Move the bus somewhere else. Besides, if your bus is always parked out front people will still wonder."

"Where would I park it?"

"Don't know, don't care. Not my problem."

His lower lip stuck out in a pout and Amy refused to find it amusing. She was mad. Yes, she was mad, not amused. Nothing about this was supposed to be funny.

"Fine," He grumbled and stood, still clutching his blanket like a lifeline as he grabbed his keys, which Amy frowned at to see he had a key to the flat, and went outside to move the microbus.

Amy ran a hand through her hair. This was going to be a nightmare.

~(*)~

Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: Hey guys! Thank you SO much for the reviews. You have no idea how uplifting it was. And also, sorry for not updating sooner. I just got done with an enormous school project so I should have more time to update. I'll try and have a new chapter in every Friday, if I can help it.

Anyway, special thanks and many bows to the fabulous mattkaztophe for letting me write for her story idea. She is amazing! Bless her heart. : )

~(*)~

Amy didn't sleep much that night. By the time John came back it was late and he wouldn't stop yawning as he made his way back to his room. Amy grumbled at that.

For hours she tossed and turned, unable to keep her eyes closed longer than a minute before she turned over again and tried not to think about the fact that there was a grown man sleeping just down the hall in her guest room.

But he wasn't a guest. Oh no, Amy thought to herself bitterly. He lived there now. Had been living there for her entire trip to China.

_Good Lord_, Amy thought as she ran a hand through her hair. _What was he doing the entire time I was gone_? That thought and many others refused to let her drift off until sunlight started to filter in through her bedroom window.

Amy groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. It wasn't fair. Why did the sun have to come up before she had even an hour's worth of sleep? Why did her mum have to go and get some idiot to share her flat? Why _her_?

She lied there for what felt like an eternity, and it still wasn't enough. She wanted to curl up in a ball and die. It was so _embarrassing_!

Amy finally roused from her half-unconscious state at the harsh pounding on her bedroom door.

"Amy? Amelia? Hello? Are you in there? Are you alive? Yell at me if you're still in there." Amy felt like screaming. It was John. What the hell was his problem? It was too early…

"Oi! Go away!" Amy bellowed, throwing her pillow at the door and pulling her covers up over her head for a shield.

"Hah! Amy! So you are in there… Anyway, just wanted to apologize for last night," Amy let out a pained laugh at that. So this wake-up call was his apology? It left much to be desired…

"So I made you breakfast!" He called, and Amy's eyes narrowed. Breakfast? She slowly lowered her covers and glared at the door, silently debating whether or not it was worth investigating.

She climbed out of bed and shivered when her bare feet came in contact with the cool wooden flooring. John knocked on the door.

"Please? I really am sorry about last night…"

Amy pulled a robe on over her nighty and tied it off, reaching for the door and pulling it open. John nearly fell through, but caught himself just in time and fell back into the hallway. A goofy grin was plastered on his face as he ran a hand through his ridiculous hair.

"Good morning," He said cheerily, with a smile that seemed unhealthy for that unholy hour in the morning. Amy held her menacing stare as she looked him over skeptically.

"Something about breakfast?" She finally said when she couldn't stand staring at his grin anymore.

"Ah! Yes! This way," He said, and Amy tried not to hit him for leading her through her own flat.

"I know where the kitchen is," She grumbled, but followed him anyway.

Amy stared in wonder when she saw the dining table. That was a lot of omelets.

"So," she said airily. "You like omelets?"

John's eyes narrowed in thought, like he hadn't considered the fact that she might not feel the same.

"You don't?" He asked, his voice catching. Amy rolled her eyes. He was like a child, determined to impress the other kids.

"No, no. I do," Amy said. "That's just…" What, a lot? That's what she wanted to say. But he was staring at her with his big green eyes and Amy felt like she couldn't tell him the truth.

"Just what?" He asked hopefully. Amy sighed inwardly and forced a small smile on her face.

"It's great. Do you think we can eat it all?" Amy asked.

John beamed and hurriedly pulled out a seat for her. Amy walked over and sat down, scooting herself in as John ran about grabbing a plate and silverware. Amy raised an eyebrow. He'd certainly made himself familiar with the utensil drawers.

"Of course we can," He replied with a grin as he placed the items in front of her. He piled up two omelets on her plate and then put a pear and orange juice next to it.

Amy looked at him in mild confusion as he set up his own plate.

"I do have apples you know," She said and picked up the pear. John narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"Apples are rubbish," He stated like everyone should know that. Amy simply rolled her eyes and stabbed at her omelet with a fork.

John stared at her excitedly and Amy glared at him. He quickly looked away, but she caught him peeking as she raised the fork to her lips.

Flavor instantly exploded on her tongue, and Amy's eyes widened in wonder. It was _delicious_! She quickly put another bite in her mouth and moaned. John's eyes sparkled and he leaned closer.

"Do you like it?" He asked excitedly, watching as she put another two bites in.

"Like it? What is this? This is brilliant!"

John grinned proudly and started eating as well.

"Well, it started when I was little. First I tried eggs, then I liked sausage, then one thing sort of led to another and then mum's helping me out in the kitchen…"

"Hey, rambling," Amy said, covering her mouth as she swallowed.

"Sorry," John said sheepishly and wolfed down his own breakfast, quickly moving on to seconds and then thirds.

Ah, Amy thought to herself. That's why he made so many.

By the time breakfast was over Amy had never felt more satisfied.

"That," Amy declared, "was the best breakfast I've ever had."

John practically glowed with happiness as he collected all the plates and put them in the sink. Amy watched in surprise as he went on to do the dishes without another word, silently humming to himself as he turned on the faucet.

As Amy tried to figure out the tune he was making, she watched as he cleaned up. She hadn't expected him to be this tidy after last night. But as she looked through the doorway and examined the kitchen, that thought was quickly put away when she saw the mess he'd made.

Apparently breakfast wasn't so neatly made as she thought. It looked more like a tornado had made breakfast than one man. But at least he set up the dining table nicely.

Before Amy could get all her thoughts together about the mystery man trying his best to clean up, she heard her phone ring from the living room.

Amy stood, casting a glance to the kitchen to make sure John hadn't killed himself yet, and hurried to the next room. She picked up her phone and looked at it.

It was another text message. From River. Amy smirked to herself. River wasn't going to believe this…

She opened the message history and frowned. There were at least a dozen missed messages, half of them sent while Amy was in China. Amy opened the most recent one and stared in shock.

In her own simple words, River had written: "_Amy, get back to me as soon as you can. My boyfriend is in your flat!" _

~(*)~

Please review! It really does mean a lot : )


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Special thanks to mattkaztrophe :)

~(*)~

In no less than two minutes Amy somehow found shoes and a jacket and threw herself into the kitchen.

"What happened?" John asked innocently, his voice garbled from the spoon of peanut butter in his mouth.

"Uh," Amy said as she grabbed her purse and car keys, only stopping for a moment to take in how messy it was in the kitchen.

"I'm going out, just for a bit," She replied. "I'll be back soon, so the kitchen had better be looking normal by the time I get back."

"Sure," John nodded and tossed the spoon in the sink.

Amy rolled her eyes and marched out of the room for the front door when she heard him shout behind her, "Uh, Amelia—" Amy spun around and raised a finger at him.

"Don't," she growled, "call me _Amelia_." She didn't give him the chance to apologize as she rushed out the door and jumped into the car.

She'd never driven so fast in her life. Amy knew River had a boyfriend, but the way River talked about him Amy figured that he'd be some buff adventure enthusiast. Not some stupid-faced man who looked like a twelve year old on a sugar high.

But if River knew who this person was, then Amy was determined to find out.

Amy arrived at River's flat in no time. Amy quickly rushed up to the door and pounded on it as hard as she could.

"River? River, answer the door!" Amy shouted, not giving a single care about what the neighbors thought. Amy was on a mission, after all.

Amy heard a thud from the other side of the door, and nearly fell on her face when River threw open the door and stepped out of the way.

"Amy, what a surprise," River said in fake shock, but smiled as she placed a hand on her chest.

"Don't '_Amy, what a surprise_' me!" Amy growled, wiping her hair out of her face and stood upright.

"Is this about poor John?" River asked in amusement, closing the door as Amy began to pace the living room.

"He is not _poor John_! He is _in my flat _John! Who is he? Why is he in my flat?" Amy said sharply and threw her arms across her chest. She couldn't decide if she wanted to scream or cry. _Scratch that, _Amy thought. Definitely _not_ cry.

"I'm sure you've called your mother by now," River replied coolly, and seated herself comfortably on one of the sofas.

"Yes," Amy grumbled, taping her fingers on her arm impatiently.

"Then you know who he is."

"He's your boyfriend!" Amy nearly screeched.

River laughed and patted the seat next to her.

"Oh, sit down Amy. You'll make the neighbors wonder."

Amy tried not to growl as she fell down against the seat, refusing to smile when River laughed at her.

"Why is he in my flat?" Amy finally sighed tiredly.

"Because your mum doesn't want you to travel on your parents' money perhaps?"

"Why? It's not like they care about me. I'm out of the way now. They tried shipping me off to a boarding school. _Twice_. See how well that worked out," Amy laughed bitterly and grabbed a pillow to hold.

"I don't pretend to understand your parents' motives. I can only try and make you feel better about it," River replied with a gentle smile. Amy's eyes widened.

"He's your boyfriend, maybe he could stay with you and we'd just pretend he's still in my flat?"

River suddenly laughed, and Amy narrowed her eyes.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, Amy!" River giggled and repositioned herself on the sofa. "As much as I'd like to help, you know dear Tabetha Pond will be watching. Your parents are too rich to _not _be watching."

Amy rolled her eyes. Of course her parents would be watching. It was all about publicity in the end. If their daughter lived with someone that was one thing. Lots of people did that nowadays. But if their daughter went off the deep end and did something _illegal_,then the Pond parents would want a head start on that news article.

Not that Amy would ever do something that ridiculous… She deserved _some _credit.

"But you can't be okay with this!" Amy still protested. "Your boyfriend living with your best friend?" River raised an eyebrow.

"Well, for one, I know that you have a boyfriend, you hate my boyfriend, and he's dating a gorgeous woman," Amy grinned, "So I don't see what there is to worry about."

"You trust him that much?" Amy asked. River shrugged.

"I trust him completely. John is many things, absolutely. But of all the things I'm worried out, him cheating on me is _not _on that list. Besides, we talked about it before he moved in. I didn't know it was you he was staying with until you were flying home from China."

Amy sighed heavily and leaned back against the sofa. This was all ridiculous. On one hand, it was a relief to know that River trusted him so well, but at the same time, it didn't remove the problem. He was still living in her flat.

"You must have been in a rush this morning," River's amused tone brought Amy out of her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked in confusion. River looked Amy over skeptically.

"Dear, you're still in your nighty."

~(*)~

By the time Amy got back to her flat she was beyond words. She didn't know what to say or how to say it. She felt no closer to understanding her situation, or the man that had become the situation, and it only made things worse that she couldn't make it go away. It was too difficult. The entire world, no, the _universe _seemed to be set against her.

Amy growled. Like hell she'd accept it.

Once she was inside she was instantly greeted by the overpowering smell of cleaner and disinfectant. At least John cleaned up, although it seemed overboard.

Amy scrunched up her nose as she took off her jacket and shoes. She needed to get dressed in real clothes.

Amy made her way to her room, but stopped when she saw John sitting far too innocently at the dining table, nose buried in a book like he'd been sitting there all morning. Somehow even he'd found time to get dressed while she was out.

John noticed her standing there and grinned widely.

"Hello!" He said happily. Amy's head felt like it was spinning. It was too early for this.

When she didn't respond, he squirmed in his seat and tried again.

"So, have a good outing?" He asked, a little less brightly but still appearing honestly interested.

Amy grabbed a chair and sat down, crossing her arms and leaning against the table. It was time to get to the bottom of this.

"Who are you?" She wasn't asking. She was demanding. John set down his book and scratched his cheek.

"Um, I'm John?" He offered, seemingly unsure of how else to answer.

"Got that bit," Amy replied stiffly. "But who are you? Where are you from? Why did you agree to live with a random girl when you're dating someone else? Where's the connection?"

"Oh! River!" John suddenly smiled fondly, his eyes glazing over as though he were reliving a pleasant memory. He suddenly shook his head and gave Amy an even stare. Amy almost shivered. There was something too alert in his gaze. It was different from his usual cheery attitude that she was quickly growing used to.

_Dear Lord_, Amy mentally cursed. _Do _not _get used to it_!

"Uh, yes, about that," John said nervously, his expression quickly returning to the nervous cheeriness that annoyed Amy to no end.

"Well, I really needed a place, and River has issues with company, so…"

"So you just decided to move into some random flat with some random girl?"

"No! I mean, yes. But no, not like that!" John tried desperately, running a hand through his hair as he shook his head.

When he finally looked up, a sad, faraway look cast a shadow across his face.

"I just really needed to get away for a while. You know what I mean?" He said finally.

Amy swallowed. Something in his tone made her heart twist painfully in her chest. She didn't want to ask why on earth he needed to get away so much that he jumped at the opportunity to live with _anyone _who would let him. She didn't want to ask because she knew. She knew _exactly _what he meant.

"Yeah," Amy's voice choked out. John looked up at her in mild surprise. Amy looked away. This was getting too personal. She needed to change the subject. Before she could even open her mouth, John had already jumped to his feet and was popping the joints in his neck and shoulders.

"Well then!" He said brightly, as if their entire conversation hadn't happened. But Amy could see it in his eyes. The sparkle in his eyes was missing.

"This morning isn't going to start itself! I have to go see a man about a bowtie."

Amy couldn't help but scoff immediately as John dashed to grab his jacket.

"Who wears bowties anymore?" Amy asked incredulously.

"Oi!" John exclaimed, and Amy failed to stop herself from laughing when he came back around the corner.

He looked ridiculous. He wore boots, trousers, a white button up shirt, an old tweed jacket, and a _red bowtie. _

"What?" John demanded when Amy wouldn't stop laughing.

"You look like a raggedy old professor!" She declared and pointed at his outfit in shock.

"Do not!" He declared. "Bowties are _cool_!"

"Is that all that's cool?" Amy asked, eyeing him up and down as she tried to fight back the giggles and failed.

John opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it again and huffed at her.

"I'll be going then," He grumbled, grabbing his own keys and heading for the door.

Amy didn't stop laughing until long after he left.

~(*)~

Please review! It really helps my motivation to write. Seriously, you have no idea how much they mean to me. Please review!

6


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

A/N: *Screams* OH MY GOSH GUYS DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM WITH YOU?! Thank you so much for the reviews they were beautiful! They literally made my entire week/days better, and the only ones I have to thank are you :D Thank you so much and I really hope you enjoy this next chapter. I did my very best for you.

As always, special thanks to mattkaztrophe. Without her this wouldn't be possible.

~(*)~

Once the giggling had finally subsided, Amy finally set about getting ready for the day. It didn't quite feel real that it was only 10 in the morning as Amy went out for a drive.

She didn't know where she was going. Amy's fingers drummed on the steering wheel as she thought it over. She'd already visited River, and honestly, Amy didn't feel like seeing her so soon after their little 'talk' earlier that morning.

She could always visit Cecilia? Good ol' Cece had always been so welcoming and inviting. Not that River wasn't, but Cecilia had a certain… predictable quality that River lacked. Amy could never guess what River would do next, or where she'd hop off to within a moment's notice. Cecilia wasn't the adventurous type, and honestly, that would be a welcome change to Amy's suddenly upside-down world.

A fleeting thought of Amy's boyfriend passed through her mind. She considered calling him, telling him about the insanity that had become her life. But the thought was disturbingly, easily dismissed. As much as Amy liked to talk to her darling Rory Williams, she would rather die than tell him that a bloke had moved in with her and she had no control over it. Besides, who knew what Rory would do when he found out…

It was better to keep it a secret for now. And besides, Rory was in London for his cousin's wedding. He hadn't wanted to go, he would have much rather stayed in Venice with Amy. He'd made that much clear. But even then, he knew Amy was planning a trip to China, so she was finally able to convince him to go.

If Cecilia wasn't adventurous, Rory was ten times less so.

Amy smirked at the thought and rolled her eyes. With that settled in her mind, Amy decided to go to the one person that wouldn't completely lose their mind. At least not too much. She made the next left and headed to Cecilia's.

~(*)~

John played with his bowtie nervously.

"You don't think my bowtie looks ridiculous, do you?" He asked, trying to sound more incredulous at the idea, but he could never be completely certain. Not that he'd ever get rid of it. Of course not. He petted his accessory lovingly, comforting himself of the thought. No, bowties would always be cool to him.

"Of course not, sweetie," River replied easily as she gave him a tea cup.

"So, Amelia-_Amy_, came to visit you this morning?" John asked curiously, smiling to himself as River kissed his temple.

"She did," River nodded affirmingly. "She was quite shocked when she realized my boyfriend was her new flat-mate."

"Honestly, how you let me do something as crazy as this is beyond me." John said, staring down at his cup as though it held all the answers to his darkened thoughts.

River sighed and took a seat next to him, _very _close to him, John quickly noticed as their thighs brushed.

"I trust you. Besides, we both know why you needed to get away."

John fiddled with the cup in his hands and sighed inwardly. After yesterday and that morning, John just felt tired.

River had come to visit him quite a few times before Amy came back from her trip. She'd warned him that Amy wouldn't take well to a bloke living in her flat, but John was skeptical.

After conversing with Mrs. Pond, John assumed Amy would be more like River. Adventurous, excited by a challenge and more readily accepting of a change in lifestyle. Mrs. Pond had also made it quite clear that Amy would most certainly _not _be looking for a boyfriend. John got that message loud and clear.

So when Amy arrived from her trip, John thought it was River. He hadn't known when Amy would be returning. River didn't even know all the details.

Granted, John definitely recognized that their first meeting could have gone much better if he'd just been a little more decent. But then again, he had thought it was River. River wouldn't have given a fly whether he was dressed or not. In fact, she'd probably prefer the latter.

John had hoped he could make it up to Amy that morning. But even then John worried he'd done something wrong again to offend her. She'd left so abruptly, and when she returned she seemed so upset that John could only assume he'd ruined his chance at starting a simple friendship with her. At least he left the flat with her laughing, albeit because of his dress.

"So what happened?" River asked, "When Amy came back?"

"We talked," John started, his eyebrows drawing together in thought. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain my motives. Why I jumped at the opportunity to live anywhere with anyone."

River's eyes darkened.

"You didn't tell her, did you?"

"Of course not," John replied far too quickly. River raised an eyebrow. John looked back at his cup of tea. It was growing cold.

"I think it's safe to assume she knows that I was desperate to get away. She didn't press for details, but who knows how long that'll last." River nodded in understanding.

"Amy will always want to know everything. The longer she doesn't know the more angry she'll be with you. But in your case," River cast him a caring glance, "it might be for the best."

John closed his eyes and let his head rest against the sofa.

"I feel like I've been running away my entire life. Why am I always running?" He wasn't asking River to answer. It was more of a soul-suffering debate that he always carried with himself.

River looped an arm through his and settled her head on his shoulder.

"Better to run away then allow the demons to devour you."

"I'd much rather make demons run."

"Given your history, you do that too."

John snorted.

"So that's my fate then? Run for all eternity and drag my enemies with me to the dust?"

"Why not? It's much more fun that way, don't you think?" River replied with a shrug.

John laughed and hugged River, kissing her through her mess of golden curls.

"Oh, River. You and me, we'll always run together, won't we?" John asked into her hair.

"Of course. But I have a better destination in mind instead of dust."

River leaned up and kissed John's lips deeply. John fumbled for a moment before his hands came up to cup her face and tangle themselves in her gorgeous golden curls. John smirked against her lips as she pulled back.

"Oh? And where might that be?" He asked, knowing _exactly _where River was talking about. River laughed and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Have any plans?" She asked, giving him another quick peck on the lips. John smirked and narrowed his eyes.

"I have an appointment in an hour…"

"So we have all the time in the world, don't we?" She asked, leaning forward but John beat her to it as he brought his lips down on hers.

Only after several moments of intense kissing did John finally pull her fingers out of his mussed hair and looked River in the eyes meaningfully.

"You had a destination in mind?" John asked, his voice airy and kiss-stricken. River smirked and took his hand.

"Let me show you."

John had never chased her faster.

~(*)~

Cecilia covered her mouth and Amy rubbed her eyes.

"Oh my goodness," Cecilia finally said. It had taken nearly an hour to explain the story in its entirety, along with answering all of Cecilia's questions. And now Amy was ready for the day to be over. And it wasn't even noon.

"So what are you going to do?" Cecilia asked. Amy shrugged and ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't know. I mean, he doesn't seem like a creeper. He's dating River, so he must be okay. But I mean, a bloke! Living in my flat! And he's not Rory!" Not that Rory had ever lived with her, but it felt wrong that anyone aside from her romantic interest was living in her home.

"Does Rory know?" Cecelia asked. Amy shook her head fiercely.

"God no, imagine if he found out!" Amy sighed irritably. "You know Rory. He'll think I don't love him anymore, that I cheated on him, that he can't trust me. But none of it's true!"

Cecilia thought to herself for a moment before leaning back in her chair in defeat.

"You sure are trapped in this one," Cecilia said. Amy nodded.

"So what should I do?" Amy asked. Cecilia rested her head against her hand and gave Amy another one of her trademark 'give-me-a-moment-I'm-going-to-solve-all-your-problems-if-I-can' look.

"I guess… just go with it. For now! Anyways," Cecilia quickly added when Amy's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"If River trusts him and he's really not that bad, then there's nothing to worry about there. But you should talk to Rory before he finds out the hard way. It'd be better for him to hear it from you than from anyone else. Don't you think?"

Amy groaned. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with an angry Rory, but Cecilia was right. It would be easier for everyone if Rory heard the entire story from Amy first. That way nothing could get lost in translation. It was already too complicated as it was.

"Thanks Cece, you have no idea how much this means to me," Amy said with a smile as she stood and grabbed her coat.

"Anytime Amy," Cecilia replied. "You know I'm always free to talk."

Amy smiled and gave Cecilia a hug.

"Thank God for you," She muttered.

"And next time," Cecilia said, "maybe try not to test your mum's limits. If she's willing to go this far, I'd hate to see the extreme."

"This probably is the extreme," Amy replied with a roll of her eyes.

"I'll talk to you later," she said and stepped outside.

"I'll see you Friday for class," Cecilia waved. Amy nodded and waved back.

Just as Amy reached her car and pulled out the key, her eyes caught movement ahead.

Cecilia lived close to the square, so it was often busy with people looking into shops and socializing with old friends. But it was the tweed jacket and flash of red that caught Amy's attention.

It was John. He was running through the square like a man caught on fire. Amy's eyes narrowed in thought. _What the hell is he doing—_?

Amy didn't get the chance to finish her thought. A moment later John came crashing into her and grabbed her hand.

"No time to explain, just run!"

~(*)~

So I hope you guys liked it! Please review and let me know what you guys think, it really means the entire world. Also, I'm really sorry I didn't update last Friday. Bit busy. I won't be updating this Friday cause I'll be out of town, but I'll try and have another update in by the Thursday or Friday after.

But seriously, thank you for reading, and please review!

6


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A/N: Hey guys, thanks for being so patient with me. I usually like to update every Friday, so it's been killing me that I haven't been able to give you the next installment.

Also, it's been brought to my attention that I wasn't very clear about pairings from the get-go. This is absolutely an 11/Amy romance fic :D I love River and 11 as well, and because they're canon, I figured, why not? Let's make things complicated.

I hope you guys enjoy the next chapter. As always, special thanks to mattkaztrophe, and thank you so much for the reviews! They mean the world to me. You guys are fantastic. :)

~(*)~

And to think his day had started off so well…

John had been in a hurry to get to his appointment when he realized he was running late. It was all River's fault, John tried to convince himself. If only she hadn't been so… _distracting. _

Anyway, he'd been hurrying along when he noticed a man about to make off with a woman's purse. John, of course, felt obligated to do something about it. Of course, in retrospect, it might not have been the best method…

It wasn't hard for the man to take the woman's purse. She was sitting in an outdoor café with a friend, and her handbag had been carelessly placed on the edge of the backrest for anyone to take if they felt like it.

As soon as the man had nabbed the purse, John was quick to react. John chased after the man, snatched the purse back, and ran back to the café and returned it to the woman. She was grateful for about three seconds before the thief came running back.

At first, John thought he would try to take back the purse, but that thought was quickly dashed when the man grabbed a plank of wood and gave John a look that could kill.

So John ran. The man chasing him was quick on his feet, pushing random civilians around and jumping obstacles to better get to his target. John glanced over his shoulder as he saw the man shove a woman down into the street.

John felt his blood burn in anger. He thought for a moment that maybe he should stop and face the man, but he knew better. John was opposed to violence, and the man was clearly bigger than him. John would have to be clever to stop this man…

And that's when he saw Amy. The roads were narrow, so she was practically in the middle of the street. She was an easy target for the man chasing him. So John did what came naturally.

"No time to explain, just run!" And fortunately for them both, she quickly obliged.

"What's going on?" Amy demanded sternly, but quickly sped up so she wasn't dragged behind.

"I may have, quite accidentally, gotten myself involved in something bigger than I originally planned." John replied hurriedly, watching the street signs to try and figure out where to go next.

"What?" Amy asked incredulously, looking over her shoulder. Her eyes widened and John knew she'd seen the man.

"What did you _do_?!" Amy shouted, her grip tightening on his hand as she suddenly picked up speed.

"I thought I was helping!" John replied in frustration, suddenly taking a sharp left.

"Clearly you didn't!"

"Well, I think I did," John said as they rushed through a nearby alley.

The moment they were through Amy took the lead and pulled them both to an abrupt stop.

"Where are we going?" She asked harshly, looking around the corner to see if they'd lost the thief.

"Not a clue," John admitted. "But anywhere away from him seemed like a pretty good idea, don't you think?" Amy gave him a hard look and John fought back a small smile of amusement.

Amy's eyes widened and she tugged John's arm in a new direction.

"Well then, let's find a new destination, shall we?" Amy declared, giving John no choice but to run after her.

And it was just in time, John realized, as the man had just dashed through the alley and was now closer than ever to catching them.

The man swung the plank, and John felt the air hiss against the back of his tweed jacket.

"Faster, Amy!" John shouted, picking up speed as Amy quickly pulled them to the left.

"Not much farther," Amy replied, not even glancing over her shoulder as she continued to pull him along, not letting up on her speed for even a moment.

John looked over his shoulder, however, and was surprised to see the man was beginning to slow. The man was breathing heavily, and was reaching out to try and grab at John's jacket.

He pulled away from the man's grasp and looked ahead, trying to figure out where on earth they were going. That's when he saw it.

Water. Amy had brought them to the canals. They rushed together along the small walkways beside the water, dodging all the random crates and obstacles until Amy suddenly stopped and took one look at John.

"Jump," She said simply, and then did exactly that, jumping off the street and down to what John thought was nothing but water.

John didn't even question it. He glanced over his shoulder briefly, and saw that the man had lost some ground in his chase. If whatever Amy was planning worked, they would easily be home free after this.

So, with an excited grin, John jumped.

~(*)~

To say Amy was frustrated was an understatement. It seemed no matter what was going on, if John showed up everything was doomed to go haywire. Not that Amy minded… completely. It was certainly a rush of adrenaline that she hadn't had in quite a while. Even her little trips to other countries didn't get Amy this excited.

But Amy couldn't accept that. She shouldn't be getting 'excited' about being chased by some insane person bent on attacking them with a rather intimidating plank of wood. But that was life, wasn't it? It was never so kind to make sense.

The fall was short. There was a much smaller walkway below, one used by small time fisherman when they were tying off their boats. There were great hiding places down there.

As soon as Amy hit the ground, she hurried to the side and waited for John to jump. Only, he didn't. At least not immediately. She saw him look back, probably checking to see how far behind their pursuer was. Whoever it was must have been losing ground, because John smiled, and then jumped. Amy ducked out of the way, and John landed with a hard thud, nearly losing his balance and falling over the side.

Amy quickly reached out and grabbed him by his arms, pulling him back against the wall.

"This way," Amy said in a hushed tone, walking around John and heading for a grate in the wall.

"What's that?" John asked, but Amy glared at him and grabbed the edge, pulling the grate open to reveal what looked like a sewer line.

"Come on, don't stand around," Amy said, shoving him in before he could argue.

John didn't say a word and quickly climbed in. Amy followed him in and closed the grate behind her, waiting silently to see if the man would jump down after them, or keep moving on.

The sewer line was big enough for a decent sized person to stand upright in. But even in the dark of the tunnel Amy could tell John was hunching his shoulders. It made sense. She was close to the same height as him, and even she had to lower her head a bit.

At first nothing happened. The silence was overwhelming, despite the fact they were both breathing heavily. Amy doubled over and took in deep breaths, ignoring the foul stench of the tunnel and focusing on getting oxygen back into her lungs. John breathed quietly, seemingly barely fazed from running for his life.

Amy wanted to ask if he ran often when she heard a thud from outside the grate. The man was still following them.

John suddenly reached out and grabbed Amy's hand, pulling them farther back into the tunnel and away from the light seeping through the grate. Amy didn't try to pull away, even when she felt her side press into his chest.

A shadow passed outside, and Amy sucked in her breath. John was incredibly still beside her, not moving or breathing as far as she could tell. It felt like an eternity, waiting for the man to walk away.

Every second felt like an hour, every minute felt like a year. Amy could have sworn that he _knew _they were in there. She unconsciously moved closer to John, her hand tightening around his as she swallowed and counted the seconds that passed.

And then finally, the man moved away from the grate and walked away. Amy finally let out the breath she'd been holding and ran a hand through her hair, laughing nervously to herself.

"Well, that was something, wasn't it?" Amy whispered to the darkness. She could feel his chest rumble with laughter as John nodded.

"Didn't think he would chase us this far, to be honest."

"So what did you do again? To make him so mad?"

"He stole someone's purse. I stole it back, things sort of got out of hand." Amy stared at him incredulously, but when she realized he couldn't see her expression, she replied, "Where's the purse now?"

"With the owner. Managed to get it back before he grabbed the plank and started chasing."

Amy laughed again and shook her head.

"Do you usually attract trouble like this? Or is it just recent?"

"A little of both, I think." John replied, and Amy imagined he was smiling.

Amy had almost forgotten that they were still holding hands until John let go and started to move forward. Amy mourned the loss of contact for a moment, but then worried that he was going to leave. But he stopped and turned back to her.

"How did you know this was here?" He asked curiously. Even in the dark Amy could see his eyes twinkling in amusement.

Amy grinned to herself.

"River and I were heading home from a friend's place. Cecelia had just gotten engaged, so the three of us went out to throw a little party for her. On our way home, I tripped and fell over that spot and found this place. I thought it was interesting, an empty sewer line that didn't carry sewage."

"I was wondering about that too," John admitted, his shadow moving around as he seemed to inspect the walls of the tunnel.

"So I went home and checked it out. Turns out there's a whole line of empty sewer tunnels. They were closed down due to some kind of leakage."

"Huh," John said, his tone amused as he stood up a little straighter and turned to look at her.

"How far in do the tunnels go?" He asked. Amy shrugged.

"I don't know. The maps said they stretched all the way into the center of town. Would come in handy if you were ever late or something."

Amy jumped when she heard a hard slap echo from John's direction.

"What did you just do?!" Amy tried not to shout, but the echo of her voice came back anyway.

"Sorry," John muttered. "Hit myself. Just realized I'm late for a meeting…"

"Well you should have said something earlier," Amy grumbled, grabbing his arm and dragging him back to the entrance.

She pushed open the grate and peeked outside. The man was nowhere to be seen.

"Coast's clear," Amy said, climbing out of the tunnel and making room for John to climb out.

"Oh, the irony," John muttered with a smile, but then his eyes widened as he looked at Amy.

"Huh," He said simply.

"What?" Amy asked, but then she took a moment to look over John as well. She snickered.

"You're covered in dirt!" She said in amusement. John raised an eyebrow but smirked back.

"I could point out that so are you," John replied smugly, nodding down at her clothes. Amy stopped laughing, but that only seemed to make John laugh harder.

She was covered from head to toe in dirt and grime from the tunnel. John definitely didn't look much better, but Amy groaned and started wiping it off her skirt and sleeves as best as she could.

"I don't think that'll help," John said with a smile as he ran a hand through his hair, frowning when he felt pieces of dirt there.

"Not that I care," Amy shot back. "I'm not the one who's late for a meeting."

John's eyes widened and his mouth hung open slightly, as though he'd already forgotten in the space of two minutes. He cursed under his breath and quickly rushed past Amy toward a ladder leading up to the side street.

About halfway up the steps he looked back down, and Amy could have sworn he was trying to use puppy-dog eyes on her.

"I don't suppose you could give me a lift, could you?"

Amy rolled her eyes.

"Just hang on a sec'," She replied.

By the time they were in the car and driving to John's supposed 'meeting', John seemed to be in a small panic.

"Of all days that this could happen…!" He was mumbling to himself irritably in the back seat, pulling off his jacket and trying to dust off as much of the dirt as he could.

"Oi! Don't get my car dirty!" Amy called back at him, turning onto the next street. When John didn't reply Amy chanced a glance into the rearview mirror and frowned when she saw him undoing his bowtie.

"What are you doing? And where exactly are we going?" Amy asked, even though he'd already given her directions.

"I can't walk into this meeting looking like I just crawled out of a sewer drain. Imagine the horror!" John sounded desperate as he quickly dusted off the tie and began checking over his shirt for any stains.

"What horror? It can't possibly be that big of a deal," Amy said. "Is it a job interview?"

John shook his head, but then stopped as if he had to think about it.

"Well, not exactly. I already have a job. It's sort of freelance work, but every once in a while I get called in for some big project that needs overseeing."

"What kind of job?" Amy asked, coming to a halt at a four-way-cross.

John grumbled something unintelligible about burning stains with a flamethrower before he looked up at her.

"I guess you could say the company that employs my work has recently come under new management, and they're very keen on getting rid of anyone who's not actively bringing them profits."

Amy's eyebrows raised as the car started moving forward.

"And you're afraid you might get fired?" Amy asked. John shrugged.

"It's a possibility. The new manager will be there for the meeting," John explained. "So just _imagine _if I walk in there wearing _this_!"

John grumbled and started to redo his bowtie, glaring out the window and clenching his jaw.

"Then I suppose that does present a problem," Amy mumbled.

As Amy pulled up to the large building she looked through the window in mild awe. It was quite glamorous. The building was colored bronze from the outside, and the trim around the double doors appeared gold. The glass of the doors alone appeared to be tinted black, and glinted in the sunlight as people seemed to be pouring in and out of the building.

"You work here?" Amy said in surprise. It seemed so… high end. It didn't seem like a place John would work at. And they allowed free-lancers? What kind of business was this?

John sighed from the backseat as he pulled his jacket on.

"Whenever they call me in," He replied. Amy frowned. Something in his tone almost sounded bitter. But that couldn't be right.

"Do you like your job? 'Cause if you don't, it might not be such a tragedy if they let you go."

"Oh, no. I love it," John said, a dreamy look in his eyes. "I get to do some of the most amazing things, and they give me so much room to work. It's wonderful. I'd hate to lose it."

John moved to open the door when he cast a look at Amy, a strange gleam lighting his eyes.

"Would… you like to see?" He asked. Amy bit the inside of her cheek, trying to fight back a grin.

Of course she wanted to. But, at the same time, Amy didn't want to get involved. She wanted to stay out of John's life, and John to stay out of hers. But so far, that plan had been smashed to pieces multiple times since the morning began.

So… what was there to do?

Amy grinned.

"Absolutely."

~(*)~

Well, I hope you guys like it! I tried to make it a bit longer than the previous chapters, but whether it's long or not I hope you enjoyed it.

Please review!


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